A hat tip to Mark Seccombe for spotting this fine piece of economics writing from the New York Times economics blog.

Casey Mulligan explores the question of whether the US coast guard should enforce that boats install safety beacons as a way of cutting the number of incidents they are required to attend. Does providing a safety-net regardless of whether participants have covered the cost of providing themselves with basic safety equipment lead to a problem of moral hazard? Has mandatory safety belts in cars led to a reduction in the quality of driving? Would compulsory air bags do the same? When is the state justified in applying and enforcing stringent safety requirements on people and businesses as they go about their daily lives?